Some of you might remember that we recorded a video at the beach in Barbuda that Doug took to his office at Channel 5 and cut into one of their Eyeopeners. He had to put quite an effort into removing the significant wind noise etc.

That wake up call video is now scheduled for this coming Monday, August 21. It airs twice: first between 05:12am and 05:15am EST and 06:12am and 06:15 EST. After it airs, it will be uploaded to the wcvb.com website as well!
Now that the video aired on TV, here is the link: http://www.wcvb.com/article/wake-up-call-from-the-tioga/12040469

We timed our departure from Falmouth Harbor to coincide with the Antigua Classic week. However, due to other preparations, the installation of the new alternator etc, we ended up only looking at extremely pretty yachts at their docks, rather than sailing with them out at sea. The hike up to Shirley Heights was another highlight.

We got our food in Jolly Harbor and sailed into the night to get to Barbuda – one of the most beautiful places we know in the area. A nice downwind sail under gennaker got us to St Barth’s the next day and we continued on to Bermuda from there.

Catching a yellow-fin tuna just south of Bermuda was another highlight of this roughly 1000nm leg. In Bermuda, a spectacular place in its own right, the preparations for the America’s Cup made for an even more memorable experience.

Yesterday we awoke to a view of Coco Point Beach, Barbuda, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

The day started with a breakfast of eggs and bacon (another beautiful view!) then Philip and Doug got the drone out for a little aerial photography! Afterwards we all went ashore, three swam and two took the dingy! We took a long walk along the beach to the point, followed by a couple of sea turtles looking for breakfast themselves. Perfect smooth, white sand, and a water color of aqua blue found only in nature!
While the crew picked up some shells and sand, Philip snapped away with his DSLR.
The next hour or so found Roger and Ulf seeking a little exercise, meditation for Doug and sunning and swimming for Philip and Ellen. Around noon we returned to the boat to raise anchor and set sail, but not before we recorded a Video Wake Up call for WCVB’s Eyeopener (air-date TBA).

The primarily downwind, 60nm sail to St Barts provided a good opportunity for Roger to get some time behind the wheel.

Flying only the Genny proved to be somewhat of a challenge and a bit of a rough ride. Since the wind died down somewhat the Skipper, being the slave driver he is, decided to furl the Genny and raise the Gennaker (a cross between a genny and a spinnaker). Of course it was the correct decision! We picked up almost 2kn and the ride became much smoother. A beautiful sunset followed by a sky full of stars heralded our approach to St Barts. As we neared the anchorage and we were discussing the procedures for taking down the sail, Murphy’s Law came into play and the halyard holding the sail broke and it landed in the water! The quick acting crew under the expert direction of the skipper made for easy retrieval and no damage to the sail. Unfortunately the drama did not end there. Long story short, we made anchor around 11:30pm, Roger suffered a minor laceration to his foot and Doug ended up with a nice rope burn on his left palm and fingers. Ah well as John Lennon said, Life is what happens when you make other plans!

End of the day tally; 150 still photos, One beach video, multiple Ariel Videos and stills. Looking forward to sharing them all.

Now that we cleared customs, bought groceries and got fuel & water, we had to make a choice: Do we sail to St Barth’s for a quick stop on our way to Bermuda, or do we sail to Barbuda (with a place that exports sand for a living – how bad can their beaches be?)
Both excellent destinations in their own right. We identified numerous options and decided we wanted both the Ferrari and the Lamborghini — Barbuda first (a roughly 5 hours sail), drop anchor just off the beach, get a restful slumber under the stars, and then sail to St Barths tomorrow (another 10 hours).
It was an excellent sail, initially along the west coast of Antigua with the sun setting behind us and lots of cruise ships all around, followed by a fast reach to Barbuda. With Roger or Doug at the helm, our fishing lines out and Ellen & Ulf in the kitchen (chicken, broccoli, ziti), we did not only make good speed, but had a great time on the water with an endless number of stars above us.

It was an excellent sail, initially along the west coast of Antigua with the sun setting behind us and lots of cruise ships all around, followed by a fast reach to Barbuda. With Roger or Doug at the helm, our fishing lines out and Ellen & Ulf in the kitchen (chicken, broccoli, ziti) we did not only make good speed but had an excellent time on the water with an endless number of stars above us.

Low maintenance Ellen got her hair done and managed to drop another personal item into the water. Luckily Doug was able to retrieve the flip flop with a boat hook and did not involve scuba gear or mask.

The weather between the Caribbean and Bermuda looks pretty promising and our goal is to leave St Barth in the middle of the day on Thursday to benefit from the easterly breeze.